The University and the Search for Wisdom in the Middle Ages – Dr. Brian FitzGerald
Dr. Brian FitzGerald explores how the first universities emerged from cathedral schools and monastic learning, and why they were built not just to transmit information, but to cultivate wisdom, practical judgment, and a love of learning.
This lecture was given on January 15th, 2026, at Dartmouth College.
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About the Speakers:
Brian FitzGerald is Lecturer on Medieval Studies and the Study of Religion at Harvard University. A scholar of medieval history, his research focuses on the intellectual and religious culture of Europe from the twelfth to the fourteenth century. His first book, Inspiration and Authority in the Middle Ages: Prophets and their Critics from Scholasticism to Humanism (Oxford University Press, 2017) examined how medieval intellectuals in France, England, and Italy sought to understand and resolve competing claims of divine inspiration or prophecy. His other interests include medieval historical consciousness, the history of education, and relations between eastern and western Christianity. Before coming to Harvard, he taught in the Humanities program and served as Academic Dean at Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts.
Keywords: Cathedral Schools, Collegiate Principle, Disputation, Liberal Arts, Medieval University, Practical Wisdom, Scholasticism, Thomas Aquinas, University Of Paris, Wisdom
